Field of the Invention
This invention relates to universal joints, for torque transmission, of the type comprising an outer member affording a cavity within which is disposed an inner joint member, the outer and inner joint members having axially extending opposed pairs of grooves in each of which pairs of grooves is received a torque transmitting element such as a ball to provide for torque transmission between the outer and inner joint members whilst accommodating relative angular displacement between the rotational axes thereof. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of making an outer member of such a joint.
The generally accepted construction for an outer member of such a joint is an all-steel cup-like component, with relatively thick walls. This is usually manufactured from a blank resulting from a forging or extrusion process, the manufacturing involving machining processes to produce the finished article of the required dimensions. However, such an outer member is relatively heavy, and weight reduction is assuming increasing importance in components intended for use in motor vehicles. It is the object of the present invention to provide a joint outer member which is of relatively light weight.